Stay
by koalababay
Summary: Their love is an interesting one, indeed. A series of Bal/Pen oneshots
1. Wondering

Disclaimer: I don't own FFXII

**Wondering**

Darkness shrouded her, encompassing her body, her mind, her sense of awareness. She had no idea where she was, or how she got there. Confusion and helplessness seeped into a painful aura around her, so powerful that the darkness wasn't even entirely dark anymore. Maybe a bit more…gray. _Who cares? _Penelo thought dazedly. In her state of nothingness, _nothing_ mattered. Penelo couldn't help but feel a very dull pang in the pit of her stomach, though. _What…? Where am I? _Breaking into her personal black abyss came a querulous, disembodied voice. She couldn't make out the words, but she knew they were being voiced in a demanding, almost hateful way. With each passing sound, the black surrounding her got less and less intense. It was fading fast. The disembodied voice was getting louder, as well.

"Get up, girl!" came a rough voice, slick with venomous revulsion.

Penelo was forcibly shaken awake by scaly, spindly hands. Blinking several times to readjust her eyes to her surroundings, she took in an angry-looking bangaa backing up a few feet from where she was crumpled on the floor. "Eat," the bangaa commanded, and dropped a tray of repulsive food, if it was even considered _food_, to the floor, causing most of its contents to splatter across the ground. Penelo sat up, slightly hindered by the shackles around her hands and feet, and glanced at the tray in disgust, making no move to approach it. "This food not good enough for you, is it?" The bangaa laughed with a high-pitched, shrill voice. It was then that Penelo realized that this bangaa was actually a female. "Well, that's too bad then, isn't it? Because you sure aren't going to be getting any more food from us. Especially if you really don't know the sky pirate like you said."

Eyes widening in shock, Penelo realized that the bangaa could be right. This food may be the only form of nourishment she will be provided with while in the bangaas' captivity. She doesn't even know who this 'Balthier' is. _There must've been some kind of mistake. I'm just an orphan from Rabanastre!_ Why would the bangaa think that she could possibly have ties to a sky pirate?

Gently scooting closer to the food, Penelo was careful not to put anymore pressure than necessary on her midsection. She remembered getting kicked and punched, among other things, while she was fighting to resist capture. All of her attempts were futile, however, seeing as she is stuck in this prison of a place with only hateful bangaas for company.

Penelo finally reached the food and slowly lifted her hand out to grab the tray, eyeing the bangaa the whole time. "We haven't poisoned it, I promise you," the bangaa's hostile tongue interrupted her progress. Penelo's stomach chose that moment to growl its impatience towards Penelo's hesitance. _Oh well. _Forgetting all other doubts, she yanked the tray onto her lap and started to inhale all that it contained, doing her best while still restrained by her shackles. Penelo ignored the raucous laughter of the bangaa as she turned to exit the prison chamber. Penelo began slowing down with her meal, now consumed with troublesome thoughts. _I hope Vaan is okay. The Imperials can't do too much damage to him, can they? And he was with that Viera…and that man who looked like he could tear anything apart with his bare hands. I wouldn't want to cross his sword. But who was that man…who gave me his handkerchief? He probably only did it to stop me from getting myself into even more trouble trying to protect Vaan._ She sighed heavily. _Who could he be-?_

Slapping her hands to her mouth in realization, Penelo tried to slow her quickening heart rate. All the dots were finally connected in her mind. _So that's the famous sky pirate, Balthier. Why would he go to the trouble to comfort someone like me with something as simple as a handkerchief?_

Several bangaas' voices interrupted her reverie. Perking her head up in the direction of the chamber door, she strained her ears to the best of her ability, so she could possibly hear what they were saying. The voices were muffled, but she could still make out most of it.

"You've seen to her feeding, sister? Yes?" came an authoritative, yet lethal voice.

"I have," responded the female bangaa who just gave Penelo her meal. "She eats well."

"See that she does. We need her alive. Balthier's bait must be fresh!"

Losing all sense of rationality, Penelo screamed, "I keep trying to tell you! I barely even know who Balthier is!" _I've only been in his presence for all of two minutes!_

The door to her chamber burst open, crashing against the wall as it over-rotated. The bangaa that she assumed to be the leader started to slowly approach her. Penelo stared in horror at what she was afraid might happen next. The female bangaa tried to intervene, "Ba'Gamnan! Don't waste your-"

"My brother!" a fat seeq came rushing into Penelo's chamber, saving her from the soon-to-be tragic experience. "A message has come from Rabanastre!"

Penelo's heart began to race again. _Vaan…? _

"The _Strahl_, she's set sail! She makes straight for the Skycity of Bhujerba!"

_So that's where I am…Bhujerba…_

Ba'Gamnan turned to face her again, a look of pure evil on his face. "Barely know, was it? Yet at a trice he goes bounding off for you. Tell me, how could that be?"

Penelo cowered under his horrifying scrutiny. She mentally berated herself for lacking the courage that she had almost all the time. Thinking of the orphans back home, and the courage they have that helps them endure every single day with she and Vaan, she suddenly felt brave. She shouted, "That's what I'd like to know! I just met him that one time-"

"Does that tongue never stop!" Ba'Gamnan interrupted, raising his scaly hand into the air, as if to silence her. He took two big strides toward her and bent over so they were face to face. "How would you like it if we plucked it from your head?" he grinned maliciously, licking his lips. Penelo felt like she was staring into his disgusting face for hours, trying her best not to cry, but in the blink of an eye, he turned around and addressed the surrounding bangaas and seeqs. "As for you all: We need Balthier alive. His corpse fetches but half the bounty!" Penelo shuddered at his last statement.

The bangaas and seeqs added their two-cents worth as they left her alone in her cell once more. She tried her best to ignore the cackles, and many boastings and plans of action they had in store for Balthier when he arrived. Penelo sighed yet again, feeling lonely and extremely befuddled. _Why would he come after me? _She shook her head with unnecessary force. _I don't even know him! Why is _he_ coming after me and not _Vaan_? _As Penelo continued her senseless musings, she couldn't help but replay the scene in her head where she had first met Balthier over and over.

_I can't believe he stepped in front of me like that. It was almost as if he was protecting me from getting arrested by the Imperials, or something. That's surprisingly kind. And his handkerchief… _She lifted her shackled hands to the pocket of her upper thigh and grasped the handkerchief. Lifting it up to her face, she took a inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of gunpowder, leather, and what smelled like it could be his cologne.

_I never pictured a sky pirate to look like _that_, either. From the stories I've heard, they're dirty, rude, ugly, and unkempt. He seemed…well, he was none of those things. Balthier wasn't ugly in any way, shape, or form. And his accent almost made him seem…eloquent. _Her stomach knotted up, but it wasn't due to pain or discomfort. _What is this I'm feeling?_

Gazing out at the small view of the sky that was visible from her barred window, she felt shivers run down her back. _He's out there somewhere. Coming for _me_, of all people! _She laughed softly, in spite of herself. _I wonder why he even bothers?…_

--

All he could see was a beautiful girl with blonde pigtails. Everytime he blinked. Everytime he gazed into the sky. He couldn't escape her innocent face. It was all his fault. She would have never been taken by those damn bangaas if it wasn't for him and his sky piracy. _Why am I feeling this way? I have never once regretted my career before now! _

He had only seen her for a few moments in passing, and he could already tell that she was a genuinely kindhearted person. _There aren't enough people like that in this world. _She struggled through Imperials and gods knew what else to try to help Vaan. _I assume those two are fairly close, considering the way Vaan reacted to the news of her abduction…_Balthier tightly clenched the steering wheel of his beloved _S__trahl, _their course set straight for Bhujerba.

The only reason he accepted Vaan's gift of the magicite stone was so Basch, Vaan, and Fran wouldn't wonder why he was so quick to agree to help rescue Penelo. _A sky pirate must maintain at least _some_ of his characteristics at all times, no? _He felt the grip on the wheel tighten even more, if it was even possible.

"You must relax." Balthier heard his partner, and best friend, command from the copilot's seat next to him. "The girl will be fine," Fran continued. "She is but a token for your arrival in the Skycity."

He made noncommittal grunt in reply. Fran, sensing his lack of enthusiasm in their conversation, made no move to continue to speak. Sometimes, with the two of them, things were better left unspoken.

Balthier sighed, earning him a slight twitch from Fran's ears. _I wonder is she's okay?…_

_--_

_A/N: This is the product of koalababay's infinite boredom...and writer's block from her other story (which she will update soon-PROMISE!!). Hope you enjoyed it. Review if you can! Thanks for reading!! :)_

_OH! and just curious, should I continue this...or leave it as a oneshot??_


	2. My Shield

**A/N: **Yay! I've finally made a decision regarding this! (so sorry for taking such a long time…) It'll be a series of oneshots that aren't necessarily in _chronological_ order. The only thing they'll have in common is that the pairing will always be hinted towards BALTHIER/PENELO!!

WOOT!! XD

So after you read this oneshot, if you feel like making a request or two (or three ;D) on what you want to see in later oneshots, just lemme know. I'd be soooooo happy to take you up on your ideas!! =D

Seriously. I'm not kidding.

Anyway…ON WITH THE SHOW!

_**My Shield From the Storm**_

She clamped her jaw tight to keep her teeth from chattering together. It was so incredibly cold in the Paramina Rift, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could bear the freezing temperatures. For what was probably not the first time since joining Vaan and everybody else on this action-packed adventure, Penelo asked herself why she had even decided to come along with them.

Oh, right. That old fear of being left behind. How could she forget something as simple as that?

There were a lot of aspects on this journey that had made Penelo stop to think about her life. She hadn't exactly been the luckiest girl on Ivalice, but then again, there were quite a few things in her life that she would be ready and willing to sacrifice herself for.

Well, first, there was Vaan. Then, Migelo and all the kids back in Rabanastre…actually, the whole city of Rabanastre itself. What could she say, it was her hometown, through and through! And then there were all the people she had recently met and had been journeying with for the last few months.

Ashe, Fran, Basch…Balthier…Even though she hadn't known them for very long, she felt like she had gotten to know each and every one of them on a separate, yet personal level in a short amount of time. Now, she knew she could easily sacrifice her life for theirs, especially if that was what it took to make Ivalice peaceful again.

Penelo readjusted the blanket from around her, trying to get into a comfortable position again. She had fallen asleep at first, but then Vaan had succeeded in waking her up about ten minutes later when he clambered into the tent they shared with Basch. So now she was just laying there, lost in her thoughts, trying desperately to stay warm at the same time.

She sighed as she rubbed her shaky hands together to ignite some semblance of body heat. It still didn't work. Her fingers were so cold that she couldn't even feel them anymore.

Suddenly, her ears picked up a strange sound outside. She sat up in her makeshift bed, a creeping suspicion telling her that maybe it was Balthier who had made the noise. She hoped everything was alright.

The sky pirate had offered have the night-watch that night in place of Penelo. Earlier that day, she had gotten slightly injured when an ice elemental managed to catch her off guard. Fran tried to heal her right afterwards, but Penelo shook her off, saying that she felt perfectly fine.

Fran wasn't the main healer of the group. Penelo was. And they all needed her in tip-top shape.

So apparently, Balthier had not wanted to take any chances. _That's exactly why he's out there right now, most likely freezing his good-looking butt off. _

Penelo mentally berated herself for thinking of the sky pirates rear-end like that. _Think of something else, Penelo!_ She shook her head as her mind wandered back to what she was thinking about before the handsome sky pirate's butt drifted into her thoughts.

She truly couldn't help but wonder what the point was in her getting a few extra hours of sleep. Balthier would end up suffering minor repercussions from the long watch in the bitter weather while she was all comfy-cozy in the warm tent. Well, actually, it wasn't _that _comfortable. And it wasn't that warm, either. Penelo's body was convulsing with shivers from head to foot.

But that wasn't the point.

It wasn't fair that Balthier had to suffer in her place. If she ever told him of her thoughts, though, she supposed that the sky pirate would only scoff at her and remind her of the leading man's role to save a damsel from danger. In this case, that danger was the cold.

Penelo rolled her eyes at the thought.

Standing up shakily, she firmly wrapped the blanket that she had been sleeping with around herself. She sighed. Then, she unzipped the tent and plunged into the harsh winds and freezing sleet. She made sure to zip the tent back up again before she traveled out to find Balthier. She didn't want to be the one to accidentally wake up Vaan or Basch.

Vaan was very annoying when he was sleep-deprived, but…she wasn't too sure how Basch would respond to such a rude awakening. Penelo knew she didn't want to be the one to find out.

She suddenly heard the strange noise again. This time, she was _almost_ positive that it sounded like a…a _sneeze._

_Could that be Balthier…making that noise? _

Penelo nodded in head in determination. She had her mind made up. She would find Balthier and demand to switch places with him. And if that didn't work…well she'd figure that out when she got to that point.

Taking several strides away from her tent, she started to look around for him. Unfortunately, she didn't see a trace of him anywhere. All she saw was white. The blizzard had obviously gained some strength after she had retired to bed.

She squinted her eyes so she could see a little better, walking at a faster pace until she reached the charred remains of the bonfire.

Then she heard it again. This time, she _definitely_ knew that it was a sneeze_. _And it sounded like it was really close-by.

"Balthier?" she asked softly, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself as another chilling gust of sleet and snow whipped across her face.

"Hmm, yes?" a smooth voice answered from right behind her. She gasped, not expecting such a sudden answer…or the fact that it was so very close to her. She flinched, mentally berating herself for not being more observant, and quickly turned around.

She fought hard to hide the blush that was slowly, but surely, spreading throughout her cheeks. Balthier was right behind her, sitting on a large snowdrift with a casual look on his face. _How did I not see him there? _She almost laughed out loud when she finally noticed that he was almost completely covered in snow and ice. Penelo must've walked right past him, mistaking him for just another part of the blizzard.

Giving the sky pirate a quick once-over, she took in his whole appearance. He was wearing his regular, sky pirate's outfit, and his weapon of choice, the Vega, strapped to his back. Glancing at his charming face, she noticed that he was, yet again, donning his trademark smirk, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

Penelo never knew for sure what was going through Balthier's mind, especially when his eyes shone like that.

She shook it off and took a deep breath before speaking again. "You're getting sick, Balthier." The sky pirate's smirk faded a fraction. Penelo didn't even notice. "And I'd feel a whole lot better if I took over from here. This was supposed to be my turn for the night-watch tonight anyway, and you had no right to-"

"No right to what, my dear Penelo?" Balthier's smirk was back in action, and he spread his arms out behind him so he could lean back comfortably. "Do a selfless favor for a friend who wasn't at her best?" He slowly stood up, stretching out his stiff arms and knocking all the snow off his body. He took a few steps closer to her until they were face-to-face. "I _am _a sky pirate who knows no bounds when it comes to the knowledge pertaining to crimes, but truly…I don't see the crime in this." He motioned from himself to her, giving her an expectant look in the process.

Penelo's heart started to pump in overtime while her face felt like it was going to catch on fire. Her body _always _reacted this way to Balthier whenever he was in close proximity. And she had no idea why…

Well, actually, she did. But she would never say those words out loud, let alone even _think _them. Penelo was already embarrassed enough at that point. She didn't need her face to resemble the skin of a tomato any more than it already did. A _normal _hume flesh-colored face would be very nice for her, thank you very much.

"W-Well, I didn't say it was a crime," she stammered, leaning away from Balthier's body. In doing so, though, she only managed to entice him to lean in even closer. "I j-just think it would be better for our whole group if _you_ stayed healthy. I'll be fine out here."

Balthier tilted his head to the side slightly. "Are you saying that you are an _expendable_ member of our team, Penelo, while I am a more important factor?" She opened her mouth to answer, but he calmly raised his hand in the air, instantly cutting her off. "You know, as well as I do, that it is not the case with you."

Penelo blinked in astonishment. She'd never gotten a compliment like that from Balthier before, even after all the time that they had spent on their journey together. She was honestly surprised. And maybe a little skeptical.

His intense stare was boring into her timid, hazel orbs and she suddenly had the urge to break their eye contact. She resolved her problem by dropping her gaze to the snowy ground. "I guess that's not what I meant, Balthier." He crossed his arms, still expecting a better explanation. "It's just…I would feel really bad if you got sick!" She finally looked back up at him. This time, she was filled with courage and determination. "I'm going to switch places with you tonight, Balthier, so you can just go back inside Vaan and Basch's tent." She readjusted the blanket from around her. "Okay?"

Balthier didn't respond. He just stared at her with those calculating eyes of his. The very same eyes that Penelo was unable to read. She sighed after a few more moments of silence and made a move to walk around him to take a seat on the snowdrift.

Just as she walked by him, he reached out to stop her by grabbing her arm. "And you assume it would be okay if _you _got ill on my behalf?"

Penelo turned around to face him. Instead of staring at her face like he usually did, he seemed to be studying every stitch and fiber of the blanket that was wrapped around her. "Yeah, I suppose. I used to get sick all the time when I was younger, so I probably have some type of immunity to it now…or something." She sighed. "If not…I'll just have to take care of myself." She twisted her body to walk away again, but he wouldn't let her arm go. During her struggle, the soft blanket had managed to escape her grasp, falling to a heap on the floor.

Balthier's eyes instantly moved to her right arm, and he released her from his grasp. "And we all know you can take care of yourself, just as you said," he stated sardonically with a nod.

Penelo followed his gaze to her arm, which was still dark red from the iceburn she had received from the elemental monster. "I'm _fine_, Balthier." She picked up the blanket and bunched it in a ball in her arms. Then she turned away from him. "I'll just talk to you in the morning. Sleep well."

The sky pirate chuckled. "You're under the impression that I'm leaving?" He sighed in amusement. "My, you're a stubborn one." Penelo continued to walk away from him until she took his previous seat on the snowdrift. "But you are remarkably selfless, as well," he muttered.

After Penelo got as comfortable as she could on the snow, she draped the blanket over her arms and legs, giving Balthier an indignant look in the process. "Good night, Balthier." She surprised herself with how tough she was remaining in her decision. Especially considering that she was disagreeing with _Balthier _about this whole matter.

Balthier didn't back down, however. After all, he was probably even more stubborn than Penelo was, and he never liked to lose a battle, regardless of the situation. He sent another amused smirk her way before approaching her and taking a seat next to her. "Well, if I can't make you leave, then I suppose this is the next best thing."

_Next best thing? What does he mean by that? _Penelo's cheeks were turning red again. He was so close to her that she could practically feel the body heat being released from his body and sent spiraling in her direction. She highly doubted she even needed the darn blanket anymore, considering how hot she was starting to feel. Not to mention a little bit lightheaded on top of everything.

Their shoulders were mashed together at their close proximity. But not uncomfortably so. Oddly enough, Penelo found an unknown sense of comfort from Balthier's body heat.

_Achoo!_

Penelo glanced at Balthier out of the corner of her eye, and he looked away, trying to hide the fact that he had _indeed _just sneezed again. Her eyebrows twitched as she tried to fight back laughter. "Here, we can share." She scooted a little bit closer to him and threw half of the blanket over his legs. She was half-expecting him to refuse the warmth of the blanket, stating something else about how the _leading man _is supposed to act.

But he didn't. He just glanced at her and gave her the warmest smile that she had ever seen grace his features.

A sudden wave of drowsiness hit Penelo, and she started to blink rapidly to fight the Sandman's arrival. Balthier must've noticed this because she felt his shoulders shake in what he probably thought was a well-conceived chuckle.

She noticed it, all right.

But she really didn't care. Because for the first time since they had arrived at the Paramina Rift, Penelo finally felt as if her fingers and toes weren't going to fall off from the cold. Something about being so close to Balthier had warmed her soul from the inside out…and she loved it.

Sighing, she made a bold move by leaning her head against his shoulder. When he didn't protest, she smiled to herself in satisfaction.

It seemed like Penelo had finally found a way to stay warm in the Paramina Rift. And she was going to make use of it as much as she could.

No one was going to stop her…not if she could help it, that is.

_**A/N: **Alrighty, remember to make any requests you feel like making! ;D Oh, and a REVIEW to tell me how I did on this would be lovely too! XD Thanks so much for reading!!_


	3. Damsel

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* * *

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**Damsel**

* * *

Penelo sighed as she trudged behind the group several paces ahead of where she was. It was starting to become a little hard for her to keep up with them. Her legs felt as wobbly and unsteady as jelly, the sun was too bright, her skin felt like it was getting a bit of a sunburn, her lungs were searing with the quick, labored breaths she was taking and…oh yeah, she had a really bad case of the cramps.

"Today is not my day," Penelo groaned as she repositioned the staff in her hands. She tried to think happy thoughts: soft beds, warm baths, fresh food…But then, storm clouds suddenly rushed over the sun, instantly causing the bright blue sky to darken into a shade of gray. Her momentary optimism plummeted along with the temperature. In the next few minutes, she figured it was sure to start raining freezing cold droplets of water. "Not my day at all."

_At least the sun isn't in my face anymore. _

The sound of thunder roared ahead, declaring a storm's eminent arrival. "Hey, you okay?" Vaan's eager voice broke through Penelo's wallowing thoughts. He was always talking to _someone_, regardless of who it was. She just wondered if his chipper voice was directed towards her…or someone else. It was most probably the latter. "Yoo-hoo!? Penelo?"

Ah, never mind that idea. "Huh?" Penelo looked up to see Vaan jogging back towards her with a huge, toothy grin on his face. She furrowed her eyebrows slightly. "What is it, Vaan? Is something wrong?"

He let out a small laugh, blue eyes gleaming good-naturedly. "Well," he scratched the back of his head in brief hesitance, "Ashe asked me to tell you to hurry up a little bit. We need to make it to Balfonheim Port by nightfall." He stretched his arms behind his head, gazing skyward. "And by the looks of the weather…" he trailed off with a small shrug.

Penelo crossed her arms with a barely audible huff. "Yeah, okay." She kicked a small pebble to the side in frustration. She definitely wasn't trying to delay the group. She realized just as much as everyone else that they were a bit rushed on time. "I'm sorry, Vaan." Penelo tried as hard as she could to match his steadily increasing pace.

_He's gotten in great shape ever since we left for this journey. I…I wonder if I have, too._

Vaan playfully punched Penelo's shoulder as they continued to walk. "Eh, we all have our off days, right?" She gave a weak nod. "Plus, I'm sure you're just really tired, I mean, heck, I am too, but I just---LOOK OUT!"

The next thing Penelo knew, she was shoved to the ground with tremendous force. "Oof!" The back of her head crashed into the ground with so much strength that Penelo feared she may be rendered temporarily immobile. She was seeing black spots everywhere…and someone was kind enough to land directly on her, as well.

_That really hurt._

Penelo winced as the sound of three loud gunshots and the screech of a dying beast echoed throughout the surrounding area. She blinked in a daze. _What just happened?_ "Can you get off of me…Vaan? You're…crushing…my ribs." The last two words came out as a gasp. Penelo cringed as she slowly pressed her hands to his tanned chest in an attempt to move him.

The blond above her blushed like a tomato, stuttering unintelligibly before he suddenly jumped off of her. He looked around embarrassedly, and as if he was struck by something, he abruptly made a move to help her up. Someone else beat him to it, though.

There was already a steady hand outstretched for her to grab onto.

Penelo blushed crimson, reaching a shaky hand out to accept her savior's gesture. Her breath hitched in her throat when she noticed that his hazel orbs were twinkling with mirth as he looked at her. "T-Thanks, Balthier." He nodded in reply.

She didn't think she had an injuries - besides her aching head - but she wondered what on Ivalice was wrong with her heart? It was hammering into her ribcage like crazy…

_Balthier killed that bandercoeurl before it had the chance to hurt me. I…I didn't even see the attack coming._

The sky pirate rested his Altair on his shoulder, the tip of the barrel still smoking from its recent kill. He clucked his tongue, making sure Penelo had righted herself before turning to Vaan with a bored expression on his face. "Would it be possible for you to keep the damsel in distress _unharmed_ as you rescue her from danger, Vaan?"

At the mention of a damsel, Penelo visibly stiffened.

Vaan smiled nervously. "Uh…sorry?" He turned to face his childhood friend with a sheepish look on his face.

Penelo purposely rubbed her tender head to show how clumsy he had just been…but she honestly couldn't resist rolling her eyes at Vaan with a small smirk on her face. Vaan was just too oblivious sometimes, and he certainly didn't mean to cause any harm. He was only trying to help…Penelo knew that from experience.

Balthier nodded before letting a sigh escape. "Precisely. Let's allow yours truly to play the role of the leading man in this tale, hmm?"

Vaan scratched his chin in thought. "Hey…" The street rat seemed like he had something else to say, but with another uninterested sigh, Balthier walked ahead of both orphans.

He spared Penelo a quick glance as he approached her again. "I'm pleased you're alright. But _do_ watch out for yourself next time, hmm." She blushed again. "We wouldn't want anyone to be harmed when we are so close to Balfonheim Port." He brushed by her, sending jolts of electricity down her arm where their shoulders had touched. "Especially you," he murmured.

Penelo's heart stopped when she heard his muttered comment. She assumed that he didn't mean for her to hear it, but she did. And she was shocked. _Especially…me?_ She shook her head in an attempt to erase the confusion…but to no avail.

The thunder roared above, demanding attention as it unleashed a furious onslaught of rain and hail. _That_ certainly cleared her mind for the time being. At least the cool rain soothed her headache a little bit.

"We best make haste," Basch suggested, raising his voice slightly so he could be heard over the loud storm. He led the group towards a steadily flowing stream. "It would be wise to follow the path of the river. I am certain it leads directly to the Port."

Fran nodded in agreement, ears twitching at the slight movement. "Yes. That would be best."

Everyone else made their own murmurs or grunts of agreement, and they all continued on, Penelo taking up the rear _yet again_. She sighed despondently. It was taking all of her effort at that point not to think about her throbbing skull…or a certain sky pirate.

"Especially me?" she thought aloud. "I don't understand." She sighed again. Making a move to kick another pebble by her feet, Penelo's foot got stuck on a root that was sticking out from under the muddy coastline of the river. "Shoot…" she muttered as she attempted to free herself without attracting too much attention.

Suddenly, Penelo's other foot - the foot she had all her weight on - slid on the mud, and she went tumbling, headfirst, into the frigid river. "Ahh!" She hoped to all the magnanimous gods that someone happened to hear her cry for help.

The only thing Penelo could think of doing as she struggled under the raging waters and the rain was to stick her staff up as high as it could go. With any luck, someone would see it, grab it, and pull her out. It was an ingenious plan…but it had yet to work. She could only struggle for so long…

She was a girl of many, many talents - cooking, dancing, fighting, healing, befriending others, etc. - but the _one _thing she had never gotten around to learning…was how to swim. Who could blame her? Living in a desert doesn't exactly provide you with too many opportunities to go dive into some ocean.

And that is precisely why Penelo was counting down how many seconds she had left of her life, waiting, hoping, _wishing_, that someone would notice she'd lagged behind and…oh, you know, _fell in the river_.

This was definitely not her day.

_Oh, I can't last much longer under here!_

Just as her limbs were beginning to become painfully immobile, Penelo felt something tugging at the staff in her hands. Her head finally emerged from under the water, and she took a huge, liberating breath of air. But not before coughing herself into oblivion to get all the water out of her lungs.

Her eyes were closed, her body so completely tired. She felt herself being gently dragged over the muddy coastline towards the grassier Cerobi Steppe area. She truly wanted to open her eyes and thank whoever it was that had saved her from drowning, but she didn't have the strength to do it. _I wonder…who saved me…_

"What happened?"

"Penelo?"

"Is she going to be alright?"

"What did you do to her, Balthier?" That one was Vaan's voice, she was sure. But she wondered why _he_ would be talking to the sky pirate like that.

"Calm yourself, Vaan. Have you not realized that I saved Penelo from drowning just now?" Balthier's voice had a tint of amusement laced behind its serious tone.

_He…he saved me again!? _Penelo blushed furiously. Of all the rotten luck, she had managed to make herself look like a helpless little girl in front of everyone _twice _in one day. Actually, it was twice in the span of about two hours…

"She doesn't look so good. Her face is kinda red." Vaan, yet again. Darn that boy.

_Why does he choose now, of all times, to be so observant? _she thought embarrassedly.

Penelo took a deep breath, carefully opening one eye at a time, testing the light around her. She was surprised to see everyone circled around her, each with their own concerned, serious look on their faces. But what made Penelo the most uncomfortable was the fact that Balthier's face was _right above hers_. How could she miss something like that?

She gulped nervously. "Uh…" Her throat was still extremely dry.

"Careful, Penelo." Balthier was smirking, and Penelo wished she hadn't noticed the droplets of rain running down his face, highlighting his attractive features on the way down. "You wouldn't want to overdo it, now would you?"

She shook her head slowly, but she was positive that he didn't miss the annoyance that now laced her facial expression. _How can he be so smug about everything all the time!?_

Penelo made a move to stand up, but Balthier instantly put his hands on her shoulders, signaling her to stay where she is. "Would you like me to carry you? It would be natural for your body to be exhausted after nearly drowning." He cocked an eyebrow expectantly. He was obviously waiting for her to happily accept his suggestion.

"No, I'm fine." Penelo shakily brushed his hands off her shoulders, and slowly stood up. He looked baffled as he watched her ignore his efforts to assist her. She was a little wobbly on her feet at first, but she managed just fine. Giving Balthier one last glance, she said, "And I'm _not_ a child."

Vaan whistled obnoxiously as the rest of their party left he and the sky pirate standing there by themselves. "You made her mad."

Balthier shot Vaan a sincerely confused look. "But…was it something I said?"

Vaan just shook his head, making a move to follow everybody else.

* * *

She took one last sip of her ginger ale before slamming it down onto the bar counter. _Stupid sky pirates, _she thought spitefully.

The group had finally made it to Balfonheim Port, but after noticing at how tired and pale Penelo looked, Balthier suggested that they should stay the night at the villa to regain their much needed energy for the next day.

Penelo tried to insist that she was _perfectly _fine to continue, but the sky pirate wouldn't hear any of it. He managed to sweet talk everybody else into agreeing with him, so now, here she was, sitting alone on a barstool, eyeing her empty mug dangerously.

_Why does he always have to be like that? Is it so hard for him to see that I can take care of myself? Vaan and I have been just fine for the past several years…I don't see what's so different now._

"'Scuse me, this seat taken?" a gruff voice asked. It would've been considered a polite query if the man hadn't chosen to sit down before Penelo had even responded to him. He glanced her way for a brief second, before doing a double take. His eyes widened and he gave a toothy grin, displaying all of his yellow, decayed teeth. He brushed his hand through his slimy black hair, obviously trying to impress Penelo with his charm. "Well, I din know this was the firs' stop ta heaven."

Penelo furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "W..What?" She thought she understood what he said through his odd accent, but she was confused about the _why_ part of it.

He stared her with lustful eyes. "You as purty as an angel, li'l lady. Hows about you and me go ha' fun someplace else?"

She resisted the urge to gag as she took in his less than attractive features. His eyes were a cloudy shade of gray, his teeth - Penelo feared - were sure to fall out if given a hard enough candy to chew on, his hair was as greasy as they come, and his nose was slightly crooked, giving Penelo the speculation that maybe this man had gotten it broken a few too many times.

_Today is most definitely not my day._

She angled her body in the other direction, not making any further eye contact. "No…no, thank you." She tried to be as polite and dismissive as she could. She didn't want to be downright _rude _because she had seen her fair share of slimeballs back in Rabanastre, and from being a witness - and from experience - she knew it was wise to stay _all_ smiles, if possible.

Plus, she could take care of herself. If this guy tried anything funny, she'd have her staff out faster than he could even realize what hit him.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, grabbing onto her forearm with a tight grip. She winced under his strong grasp, trying to pry his hand away.

"Please, stop it," Penelo tried to reason with him, still struggling under his hold.

"I asked ya nicely, my purty li'l angel. So now I think I'll _make_ ya come with me." The man made a move to stand up with her in tow, but he suddenly froze.

"You would be wise to release her as she asked." She'd know that voice anywhere…which isn't something she was necessarily _proud_ of, but at this particular moment, she was grateful for Balthier's timely arrival.

The grip on Penelo's arm loosened, but didn't release her quite yet. "She yer lady?" the man asked with an interested look on his face.

Penelo finally twisted her body in their direction to face Balthier. She saw him smirk when he glanced her way before replying, "Yes, you could say that."

_What?_

The man let go of Penelo's arm, leaving behind a white handprint on her tender skin from how hard he was holding on. "Ouch," she muttered as she rubbed it gently.

It was just as the disgusting man stood up to leave the bar that Penelo realized that Balthier had his Altair drawn, pointed directly at the man's back. She gasped in shock.

"Are you alright, Penelo?" Balthier asked as he took the lecher's seat once the he was sure the man was gone. His face no longer held any of his previous amusement or carefree nature. He looked completely serious, concerned for her well being. "He didn't harm you, correct?"

Penelo was still in a daze that Balthier would be so rash as to point his gun at the man, regardless of what a dirtbag he may've been. Plus, she could take care of herself!

She finally managed to find her voice. "You don't always have to swoop to my rescue, Balthier." She angled her body away from him. "I'm not some…some damsel in distress!"

"Aye, but you are," Balthier retorted with a laugh. "To me, at least."

Penelo whipped around to face him, brows furrowed. "What do you mean by that?"

He sighed, a small smile lining his face. "Is it really so bad for a gentleman such as myself to care for the wellbeing of a woman such as _yourself_?"

_Woman? He doesn't think of me…as a child?_

Her heart rate was starting to accelerate again, which wasn't an uncommon thing when she was in Balthier's company. She sighed. "I…I guess not. But you could give me a chance to prove that I can take care of myself, you know!"

He nodded. "Yes, I could."

Penelo smiled softly at that.

"But I wouldn't want to risk you being harmed," he finished. "I would never want that to happen." His gaze had never left her face since the moment the lecher had left.

Penelo's cheeks reddened. "W-Why do you care about _me_? If you want to play the role of the _leading man _so much, why don't you go rescue Fran or Ashe…heck, even Vaan! Gods know he needs all the help he can get."

Balthier laughed at her last comment. "Too right you are, but where would be the fun in that?"

"I don't understand what you mean," Penelo countered, breaking their eye contact by busying herself with the mug in front of her.

"I think you know exactly what I mean, Penelo."

Penelo's breath hitched in her throat. _Do I…?_

She shook her head slowly, choosing instead to disregard everything. "Look, let's just forget about it, okay?" She hopped off her barstool, ready to head upstairs and call it a night. One look at Balthier's somewhat wounded expression and Penelo was instantly feeling like the bad guy. "I'm sorry." It was then that she realized…"I never did say thank you, Balthier. So…thank you. For saving my life." She laughed softly. "What was it, three times in one day?"

He got off the barstool, more gracefully than she had, Penelo noted. "I wouldn't call the last one a life or death situation. Rather…an inconvenience."

Penelo smiled shyly. There he goes…looking at her like _that _again. She feared she wouldn't last another minute under his careful scrutiny. "Right," she said breathily. "Thanks." In a quick, bold move, she leaned forward and kissed Balthier on the cheek. As she went to back away, a hand grasping her wrist stopped her in her tracks.

Balthier gave her a genuine smile. "You missed," he muttered.

"I…w-what?" Penelo stammered out. It was starting to get hard for her to breathe properly, especially since the sky pirate had just taken two steps closer to her.

He let out a small laugh at her nervous reaction. "I said…you missed." He leaned closer to her face, and before Penelo knew it, his lips were brushing against hers in a gentle kiss. She hardly had time to react to it before he pulled away again, smiling slyly. "Goodnight, Penelo." He left her standing there in a daze.

Penelo raised her fingers to her lips in confusion.

_Maybe…today wasn't so bad after all._


End file.
